News from UW Medicine

Honors

Professor of microbiology Caroline S. (Carrie) Harwood was elected to the National Academy of Sciences.

Leonard D. Hudson, M.D. â€™64, Res. â€™70, professor of medicine and former head of the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, received the 2009 Edward Livingston Trudeau Medal from the American Thoracic Society and American Lung Association in May.

Arno G. Motulsky, Fel. â€™55, professor emeritus and founder of the Division of Medical Genetics, received the American College of Medical Genetics Foundationâ€™s inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award in March.

Buddy D. Ratner, a professor of bioengineering and chemical engineering, was awarded the 2009 Acta Biomaterialia Gold Medal, which recognizes excellence and leadership in biomaterials research and applications.

Linda G. Wordeman, professor of physiology and biophysics, was named a 2009 Guggenheim Fellow.

J. Randall Curtis, MPH â€™94, Res. â€™00, professor of medicine and president of the American Thoracic Society, was one of approximately 40 physicians invited to the White House to advise on health-care reform.

Wen-Hui Lien, Ph.D. â€™08, in the UW Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, was one of 13 students chosen (in an international field) to receive the 2009 Harold M. Weintraub Graduate Student Award Of the 30 American Medical Association Foundation 2009 Leadership Awards presented this year, two went to clinical instructor in anesthesiology.

And the following UW Medicine faculty and staff were honored at this yearâ€™s Universityâ€™s Annual Recognition Ceremony: Linda A. Lawson and Alejandro Moreno of Harborviewâ€™s psychiatry clinic team won Distinguished Staff Awards; MarDee G. Schaefer in anesthesiology and pain medicine at UW Medical Center won a Distinguished Staff Award; and Catrin Pittack, Ph.D. â€™95, in the Department of Biological Structure won a Distinguished Teaching Award.

Research

The lab of Thomas A. Reh, a professor in the Department of Biological Structure, found that retina cells can be encouraged to regenerate in living mice.

Professor of Medicine David A. Dichek and his team found that the bodyâ€™s own system for busting blood clots can accelerate artherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries.

Evan E. Eichler, professor of genome sciences, Heather C. Mefford, Ph.D. â€™99, M.D. â€™03, Res. â€™05, Fel. â€™06, acting assistant professor of pediatrics, and colleagues found that deletions in a section of human chromosome 15 are linked to an increased risk of generalized epilepsies without a known cause.

Wayne Katon, Res. â€™79, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, and resident Babak Roshanaei-Moghaddam found that bipolar disorders appear to increase the risk of early death from a medical illness by 35 to 200 percent.

With an award from Washingtonâ€™s Life Science Discovery Fund, Professor of Bioengineering Patrick Stayton is creating the new Center for Intracellular Delivery of Biologics to investigate and promote the use of biological molecules in fighting disease.

Mary-Claire King, professor of medical genetics and genome sciences, Tom Walsh, assistant research professor of medical genetics, and Jack McClellan, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, have been awarded a $5.5 million, five-year project from the National Institutes of Mental Health, titled â€śA Genomic Approach to Schizophrenia.â€ť

Clinical

A year-long World Health Organization pilot program undertaken in eight hospitals worldwide, including UW Medical Center (UWMC), has proved conclusively that inpatient deaths â€” along with the rate of major complications after surgery â€” can be significantly reduced by following a simple checklist.

This winter, UW Medicine Neighborhood Clinics earned a perfect score from the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care â€” their fourth perfect score out of four accreditations.

The Ninth and Jefferson Building â€” a 14-story, 440,000-square-foot building that will provide additional space for Harborviewâ€™s patient care, research, and teaching â€” opened in April.

UW Health Sciences Libraries developed the Health Evidence Resource for Washington (HEAL-WA) for health-care providers, allowing access to important resources for patient care even in remote areas.

Education

In May, U.S. News & World Report released its most recent graduate and professional school rankings. The UW School of Medicine was again ranked very high across multiple areas, including its No. 1 ranking in primary care for the 16th consecutive year. It also ranks No. 2 in the amount of grants received from the National Institutes of Health.

The Office of Graduate Medical Education, Harborview Medical Center, and UW Medical Center have developed an e-learning program for medical residents, fellows, and attending physicians. Called the Learning Gateway, the program targets a number of topics, such as preventable infections and medication errors.

Seven UW medical students won awards for projects presented at the 37th annual meeting of the Western Student Medical Research Forum in January in Carmel, Calif.

WWAMI News

In an effort to strengthen the connection between research and care provided in primary-care practices, UW Medicineâ€™s Institute for Translational Health Sciencesâ€™ Community Outreach and Research Translation (CORT) core is developing academic-community research partnerships with primary-care practices in Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho and with American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities.

Wyoming legislators gave Dean Paul G. Ramsey, M.D., and 16 first-year medical students a standing ovation when they visited in February â€” recognition of the Schoolâ€™s important role in training doctors for the state.